Omaha daily bee., 1887-01-02
BURLINGTON BLOCK BURNED
A Destructive Fire in the B. & NJ. Head
quarters Building.
Loss-A HUNDRED THOUSAND
Sloan, johnson ~ Co.'S Entire stock
Ruincd-rhc IL. " Ms General OF
fees Guttcd-Ninyatd Il Schnci-
der's Loss-Oiher News.
First Fire or tho Year.


streets, was visited last night 10y u most dee
structiyc fire At II o'clock James q. Bur
ness an employo of the B. II VI. general OF
ices, was passing the building, when he no.
ticed n cloud of smoke bursting from an
cast window of the first floor of the building
in the room occupied 10y Sloan, Johnson ~
Co. as a wholcS ale grocery. \ hasty examine
alton showed that lire was in progress in
the building, and he hurried to No. engine
house, nearly opposite and gave the alarm.
A call was turned in from box As, which was
made general, bringing the working force OF
the department TO the scene.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The origin OF the conilagraton Is a matter
past finding ont. When first discovered tho
fire was burning in the rear part of tho
| building in front of Sloan, johnson ~ Co.'S
| Office. The room was piled from ioor TO cell
| ing with goods. There is not n stove
| in the building, and no gas was
| burning ON the floor where the fire was dis.
| covered. A report spread that the fire had
| started from the engine i'll the basement and
| that the front part of the basement was filled
| with kerosene. This wasnot the case, how
| ever. The fire did not reach the basement at
| al! and goods in that part of the building re-
| ceived all OF the damage done by water only.
| There was no oil in the building as the firm
| mentioned does not deal in the article.
| FIGHTING THE FLAMES.
The fremen were prompt i'll getting to
| work and soon had four streams, from
| a network of hose playing on the flames.
! The fire was an especially mean one to fight.
| When the iremen reached the scene the
| flames had spread over the part of the first
! floor and had connected with the offices
| above When the windows were broken the
| volumes of smoke that burst out completely
envoloped the building and aomst blinded
the fremen making intelligent and effective
work almost out of the question.
A FIREMAN HURT,
| While the tlrcmen We're making
| their first efforts TO get at the flames a
| large pane of glass was broken in the second
| storg and fell upon the men below. Sew
| rubber coats escaped injury. Tom Ruane,
captain of the hook and ladder company,
was lifting ladder into position when he
was struc! by apiece of falling glass and
| had his right hand and arm very severely cut
and was forced to quit work.
| FOR TWO HOURS
| The fremen worked yaiantly with
over the flames, 1t was o'clock
| before the fire was confined to the first floor:
BY this time the second floor was flooded
| with water. The glass in all Of the windows
was broken and the tiXture3 and furniture OF
the offices demolished. The fire was then
|
floor, where it burned with slow but dam
aging progress until o'clock, when the
| alarm OF ire out was sounded.
| THE HEAVIEST LOSERS
are Sloan, johnson Il Co, the wholesale
grocers, Who occupied the double store
on the east side of the first
floor. The irn carries general stock OF
| groceries that fills the room from floor to
ceiling, valued at more than SlOo,OC0 The
loss cannot be accurately determined. but
will be nearly total. Mr.. Sloan, one of the
1 int fl.l nt "A n
| Twenty-seyenth and Capitol avenue, was
summoned by messenger when the fire was
first discovered lie arrived il time to find
were not destroyed by fire were completely
GSas" sS%n sta,es as Pf Phat thS socE IS very M
which whi he cannot @ tell Ills lis loss s viii reach
| $4,000. The firm was preparing to remove
to new quarters. Sloan, Johnson. Il Co.
came to Omaha from Peoria in June last, and
| have taken place already as one of the lead
| ing grocery firms of the west, having been
literally patronized from the first The loss
of their trade consequent on the fire will be
telt by them and generally regretted. Ihey
propose, however, to rest0ck their new house
| Just as soon as their loss can be adjusted by
| the Insurance companies.
| THE B. NJ. OFFICES
| on the east side of the second floor were
heavily damaged. The fire broke out directly
under the treaSurer's Office and connected
with the telegraph department. In the treas.
| posed books and papers were completely
| ruined by either ire OF water. In the tele-
graph Department the wires and instruments
were destroyed or SO damaged as to be worth
the front of the building was
asa ' Water ~asT ca G1 ankle Tss Sesp onet nS.
| the entire second floor but no damage was
done other than that mentioned. Mr.. J. s.
| Eustis, the general passenger agent of the B.
X NJ, reached the burning building at
| p'plupK
| control and no further damage likely to re-
suit. Questioned about insurance he stated
| that all of tie cOmpanY's property Is insured
by a syndicate of Boston companies and also
| by the conpany's insurance fund and the
amount carried upon the building and o1ice
property can be ascertained only by adjust
| ment The loss i very amply covered. The
| damage done IN the railroad Offices can not
be easily determined. All of the valuable
records OF the officers are secure in the vaults
safe from damage. The furniture In tho
treasury and teleuraph departments Is badly
damaged. The damage in the destruction of
exposed papers, memoranda stationery, etc,
can not be estimated III dollars and cents but
will amount TO large sum on account OF the
annoyance and delays occasioned by their
loss. The damage to the electrical instru--
ments in the telegraph department.
is very considerable. An cmploye OF the Of
flee estimates the colnpany's actual loss, ex,
elusive OF damage to the building at $4,000
AT least.
is owned by the b. & NJ, and was repaired
and reitted throughout during the past year.
The damage is confined 10 the first and sec
ond floors, and is roughly estimated at
$1,000
| VINYARD SCHNEIDER,
| wholesale notion dealers, who occupy tho
double store on the west side OF tho building,
were damaged b. water in the sum, estimOted
by MIR Nmyaid at $4,000. The firm carried
a stock valued AT sos 900 and are amply pro-
tected by insurance.
| NOTES.
The loss viii reach $4,000.
The thermometer stood at degrees below
zero during the lire.
Water enough was thrown to float the build.
ing away.
All of the hremen worked like tigers and
are entitled TO great credit
A large crowd, composed IN chief Of en-
plOyes and men Interested IN adjoining
property, witnessed the confagratiom.
Employees TO Share in the Profits.
BOSTON, Jan 1.-The prOprietors OF the
Boston Herald announced to-day to their
employees q proposition to give 10 them for